Thailand has scored a diplomatic success at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, where a motion proposed by the Thai delegation on combating transnational organised crime, cybercrime and hybrid threats to democracy won overwhelming support from member countries.
The assembly voted to include the Thai-led proposal as an ’emergency item’ after it gained more than two-thirds of the votes cast by over 100 member parliaments.
The outcome marked a historic achievement for the kingdom, as it was the first time a motion initiated by the Thai parliament had been adopted for urgent discussion at the global legislative forum.
The motion was spearheaded by House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and the Thai delegation of MPs and senators, with support from partners including Argentina, Chile, Poland and Sweden.
Behind the scenes, ‘Team Thailand’ worked tirelessly to lobby support from every regional group, holding late-night discussions and adjusting wording to reflect a broader consensus.
What began as a proposal focusing solely on cross-border cyber scams evolved to cover organised crime networks that undermine democracy and human security.
Among the two proposed emergency items this year – one concerning Madagascar and another on transnational crime – the Thai motion prevailed, winning 850 votes in favour and 200 against, far exceeding the two-thirds threshold of 601.
The Madagascar motion received 743 votes in favour and 158 against.
‘Securing two-thirds of the vote was extremely difficult,’ said Rangsiman Rome, the People’s Party MP who presented the motion before the IPU. Regional blocs such as Europe, Latin America and Africa held substantial voting power, he noted.
‘We had to engage in intensive talks with these groups. Australia was particularly helpful in connecting us with European countries like Poland and Sweden, and also with Latin American partners,’ he said.
The key breakthrough, he said, came when Thailand agreed to merge its cybercrime focus with Latin America’s call to address organised criminal networks and drug trafficking.